International Federation for East Timor Launches
New Projectby Charles Scheiner

Last year, the International Federation for East Timor (IFET) organized
an Observer Project during the referendum. 140 international activists,
including 40 from ETAN, spent weeks in East Timor before, during and after
the August 30 vote, supporting East Timorese self-determination and
reporting threats to the consultation process. We planned to stay in East
Timor to observe implementation of the vote, but military/militia violence
forced us out soon after the results were announced. Indonesian troops
have since withdrawn, and East Timor is now governed by a transitional
United Nations administration (UNTAET). Although many East Timorese still
cannot return home, and reconstruction is too slow, East Timor will be the
first new independent nation of the 21st century.

Or will it? The "new occupation" has brought thousands of
foreigners to East Timor to work with the UN, foreign agencies and
businesses, the World Bank, and other organizations which sometimes have
inadequate sensitivity to East Timorese concerns. In what threatens to be
a reprise of cases where international crisis response brought a new set
of problems, many of the big international NGOs ("BINGOs") often
fail to consult or utilize East Timorese. The UN's own institutional
limitations and priorities often work to exclude those of the East
Timorese people.

IFET-OP and UN vehicles at polling site August 30, 1999.
Photo by John M. Miller

ETAN and IFET activists have discussed this among ourselves and with
East Timorese NGOs and the CNRT. All agree that an East Timor-based
institution would be useful to analyze the massive reconstruction effort
and to help East Timorese groups deal with the UN and BINGOs. Hence we are
developing an IFET Monitoring Project. Over the coming months, several
international activists will go to East Timor to work out details with our
East Timorese partners. IFET-MP will have a small professional staff
including both foreigners and East Timorese. It will watch and report on
activities of foreign institutions in East Timor, and help them to better
understand East Timorese needs and concerns. IFET-MP may recommend courses
of action, advocate internationally, or help East Timorese resolve
conflicts with the international presence.

If you would like to help with this project, please contact Charlie
Scheiner at ifet@etan.org or ETAN's
White Plains office. Unlike IFET-OP, we will not send dozens of people to
East Timor, but IFET-MP will need international support. You can follow
its progress on IFET's website.